


The Happiest Cat in the World

by Taste_is_Sweet



Series: Ussuri [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Bucky Barnes Gets a Hug, Bucky Purrs a Lot, Fluff and Humor, Happy Bucky Barnes, Happy Steve Rogers, M/M, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Protective Steve Rogers, Soul Bond, Steve Rogers Gets a Hug, Werecat Bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 16:58:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10926117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taste_is_Sweet/pseuds/Taste_is_Sweet
Summary: Fury huffs. "Bucky's name's not the problem."Steve freezes for a second before he goes on petting Bucky. "What is the problem, exactly?""He's fucking terrifying. He's a PR disaster. That's what the problem is, exactly," Fury says. "I have enough goddam problems with the fallout from the Hulk. I don't need more crap because your boyfriend's Resting Kit Face could make Doom cry."Bucky hisses.Fury frowns at the cat. "What's her problem?""Hairball," Steve says.





	The Happiest Cat in the World

**Author's Note:**

> Bucky deserves ALL THE PURRING, basically. So I wrote this. I hope you enjoy it. :D

"We need to talk about the Ghost Cat," Fury says.

"He prefers Ussuri for his code name," Steve says. He's on the couch in the common room. He's petting Bucky, who's in his cat body and spread across his lap with his head dangling and purring up a storm. 

Fury sits on the loveseat, spreading his legs like he's planning on staying a while. "What the hell does 'Ussuri' mean?"

Steve smiles at the cat, who gives him a slow blink to disguise an eyeroll. "It's a rare, semi-wild Russian breed that's tough, smart, athletic, and an excellent hunter. They're also loyal but fiercely independent." He looks up and shrugs. "Bucky liked the idea of reclaiming the history the Russian Hydra imposed on him. In some ways he's as Russian now as he is American, but he gets to choose how that manifests. He never chose 'Ghost Cat', but 'Ussuri' is his."

Bucky rouses himself enough to lick Steve's fingers.

"Spare me the touchy-feely emancipation shit," Fury huffs, throwing his arms along the back of the loveseat. "His name's not the problem."

There's a slight hitch in Bucky's purring, and Steve freezes for a second before he goes on petting him. "What is the problem, exactly?"

"He's fucking terrifying. He's a PR disaster. That's what the problem is. Exactly," Fury says. "I have enough goddam problems with the fallout from the Hulk. I don't need more crap because your boyfriend's Resting Kit Face could make Doom cry."

Bucky hisses.

Fury frowns at the cat. "What's her problem?"

"Hairball," Steve says. Bucky starts kneading him in the leg with all his claws. Steve stops petting him. Bucky stops the kneading. Steve pets him again. "If you're talking about the most recent mission, there were extenuating circumstances—"

"I can read reports too," Fury says flatly. "The problem is, there're _always_ extenuating circumstances. The circumstances don't change jack shit. The second anyone points a camera at him he turns into fucking Cujo."

"Cujo was a dog."

"Glad you understood the reference."

Bucky gets up slowly, stretching luxuriously so that both his front and back claws dig into Steve's thighs again before he lightly hops to the floor and ambles over to Fury. He looks up at him with his big blue eyes and chirps.

Fury pats the couch. "Well, come up here then."

Bucky jumps to the cushion next to Fury, then headbutts his thigh.

"That's it. There's a good girl," Fury coos as he pets him. Bucky starts purring like crazy, then rolls adorably onto his back with his head on Fury's leg. "Yes, you _are_ a pretty little girl, aren't you?" Fury says sweetly to the cat, still petting him. "The point is, Rogers," he says a lot less sweetly to Steve, "that the Avengers are the good guys. That means they can't go around scaring the shit out of people, even if they're assholes who deserve it. Tell your boyfriend that it wouldn't kill him to crack a smile every once in a damn while. I can only assume he knows how, considering you all talk about him like he hung the fucking moon."

"He's always been extremely serious when going into combat. Not to mention protective of his friends," Steve says. He makes his voice go just a bit deadly. "And I think he has every right to not want strangers violating his privacy, after what Hydra did to him."

Fury spreads his hand not occupied with petting the cat. "Did I say there was a problem with any of that?" He blinks in mock innocence. "No, I did not say there was a problem with any of that. Did I? Did I say that?" He says to Bucky, still petting his belly. Bucky is purring very loudly, with his front paws curved just so and his blue eyes even bigger and somehow extra blue. Spreading it on a little thick, Steve thinks. "What I'm _saying_ ," Fury says to Steve, "is that when he's _not_ fighting or defending Tony's fucking honor, Barnes needs to take it down a thousand before someone has a coronary and we get sued."

Steve leans forward with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. "So basically, you want him to be warm and fuzzy all the time. Even to assholes."

"He doesn't have to be warm and goddamn fuzzy, Rogers," Fury says with a very impressive eyeroll of his one eye. "But he _does_ need to cut the fucking red-in-tooth-and-claw crap. And that's what I need you to make clear to him. In no uncertain terms."

"Oh, I think it's clear," Steve says.

As if they rehearsed it, the cat is instantly replaced by Bucky in his half-cat body and Avengers uniform. Bucky still has his head on Fury's leg, and he grins up at him with all his pointed predator teeth. "Clear as crystal, sir!"

"Jesus fucking Christ!" It's actually pretty impressive, how fast Fury leaps off the couch and pulls his gun. Unfortunately Bucky's laughing too hard to pay attention. "Fuck you, Barnes," Fury says a moment later, holstering his gun and glowering. He plants his hands on his hips, staring down at Bucky, who's managing to look entirely innocent while still chuckling at his prank. "Since you've just proven you can smile at assholes, I expect you to have some fucking chill next time someone shoves a microphone in your face. Got it?"

Bucky crosses his arms and glowers magnificently, considering he's still on his back on the couch. "Fine. I won't scare the journalists, even if they're dicks who completely deserve it."

Fury lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Well, maybe you can still scare the dicks who completely deserve it. But just tone it the hell down." He gestures at Bucky. "You're already terrifying enough, with the teeth and claws and shit."

Bucky makes a face, but a second later he's completely human again—even his uniform now looks like a regular pair of jeans and a white tee-shirt with a saccharinely adorable picture of Tigger on it. Because Tony still thinks that's hilarious and Bucky sadly agrees with him. "Better?"

"No. Your shirt is horrifying," Fury says. He shakes his head. "I've had enough of you two numbskulls. I'm leaving." He strides away, his trench coat flourishing nicely behind him.

"Thanks for the belly rub!" Bucky calls after him, then cackles when Fury gives him the finger. He turns his head to grin at Steve. "That was great."

"You just liked the belly rub," Steve says, grinning back.

"Yes I did." Bucky stretches, then leers at Steve. "If you give me one I'll show you how much I like it."

Steve's face heats even before Bucky starts laughing, but he just says, "What if you give me one instead?" And leans back, opening his legs invitingly and wiggling his eyebrows.

Bucky immediately gets up, comes over and straddles Steve's lap. He's purring even before their mouths meet in a kiss. Bucky purrs so much these days that sometimes it feels like his warm, happy rumbling is constant background noise. Steve loves it, hopes to hell Bucky never has reason to stop. After everything he's been though, he deserves a life that makes him want to purr.

Steve has his eyes closed, so he only knows Bucky's changed back to half-cat when he can feel the points of his teeth on his tongue and the slap of his tail. Steve tugs gently on Bucky's ears the way he likes, then runs his palm up and down his spine.

Bucky arches into it and his purring gets louder. His kissing goes sloppy as it gets more heated, until he's laving the curve of Steve's jaw and then his ear, rough and wet.

Steve can't help laughing. "You kissing me or cleaning me, Buck?" Then sucks air when Bucky nips his ear in retaliation.

"'Depends on how dirty you wanna be, Rogers," he growls.

"You're ridiculous," Steve says, but recaptures Bucky's mouth, skritching him right behind his big, brown ears while he kisses him.

Bucky makes a needy mewl that will always be an incredible turn on, then breaks off with a last rasping lick over Steve's lips. "I'm not ridiculous. I'm hot as fuck and you know it," he says smugly, then settles more securely over Steve's lap, applying the perfect amount of friction.

Steve's breath catches and he settles his hands over Bucky's hips. "Hell, Buck," he manages, "I'd say you were the cat's meow."

Bucky looks so comically horrified that Steve bursts out laughing.

"I hate you," Bucky says, but that's difficult to believe when he's trying so hard not to laugh.

"You love me," Steve counters, unrepentant. He can feel it in the warmth and happiness passing back and forth along their joined soul. He can hear it every time Bucky purrs. And right now he can see it in Bucky's face, so clear and deep it takes his breath away.

"Yeah, I do," Bucky says. "Even if you're a punk."

"As long as I'm your punk," Steve says.

"Hell, Stevie," Bucky says, "you're my everything." He kisses Steve again, purring like the happiest cat in the world.

 

END

**Author's Note:**

> [And I have a Tumblr! Meow. :D](http://taste-is-sweet.tumblr.com/)


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